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Advanced clue

This value exceeds another by at least a set gap

Also known in the clue library as Bounded Comparative (quantitative).

bounded-comparative
Clue pattern
A has a larger ordered value than B, by at least a minimum amount.
What to mark first
Rule out every value for A that is too close to B to satisfy the minimum gap.
Common mistake
Treating the clue as a plain greater-than and ignoring how large the gap must be.
Mini-example
Mina finished at least three places after Theo.
Print-book tip
Write the minimum gap next to the ordered scale so a too-small difference is easy to spot.

When and where this clue pays off

Two questions matter more than the pattern itself: does this clue give you everything now, or only later — and does it become a mark on the board, or a note you have to keep separately?

Builds as the board fills in

Works like greater-than, but the excluded band is wider. Re-check it as the gap boundaries tighten.

Marks the board directly

The whole deduction lands as marks on the board.

Reading the clue is half the job. These are the methods that turn it into board progress.

Put it to work

See this clue type on a live board, or go back and browse the rest of the library.